1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to lubricious compositions. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to molded articles, such as tampon applicators, made from lubricious compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
Consumers are interested in tampon applicators that are soft, comfortable to insert, and easy to eject the pledgets from, under a variety of different environmental conditions. Additionally, some consumers experience vaginal dryness and especially desire something more lubricious and moisturizing.
Tampon manufacturers want applicators made of inexpensive, low-cost materials that are easy, rapid and inexpensive to manufacture at high volumes and tampons that can be assembled at high speeds with only minor modifications. Current tampon offerings are deficient in one or more of these attributes.
While various lubricants have been mentioned in the prior art as a means of improving slip, the literature does not teach specific lubricants or resins to use, the necessary levels required to improve slip, the specific, quantified improvements, or the process and machinery modifications required to allow molded articles containing such lubricants to be assembled at high volumes and high speeds.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a molded article, such as a tampon applicator, that is efficiently produced and has soft, flexible and lubricious properties desired by the consumer. The present disclosure meets this need by providing a lubricious polymeric composition and articles molded from the lubricious polymeric composition.